Police resources are scarce enough on the streets of Ealing without officers having to be diverted as a result of the irresponsible actions of a few.

POLICE resources are scarce enough on the streets of Ealing without officers having to be diverted as a result of the irresponsible actions of a few.

The yobs who broke into the former Chinese Embassy this week led to a police helicopter, six squad cars, two fire engines and three ambulances being called out - a cost surely of thousands of pounds.

A similar burden is placed on the force by aggressive crowds gathering outside Club Boulevard in Ealing High Street, and the urge to shut down the venue is easy to understand.

Drunken hooligans are not confined to any one place, however, and are likely to continue to be a drain regardless of the club's future.

Signs of hope

THE ebb and flow of town centre businesses is felt more keenly in the course of an economic downturn.

More shops taking up residence in the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre are a cause for celebration, and the Ealing Cross office development holds much promise for the town centre, with space for up to 1,000 more workers.

We must hope that the building quickly attracts an occupier,and that nearby West Ealing - where more stores are closing than are opening - is equally boosted by its arrival.